3.08 Gear Ratio for Towing?

onecrazyfoo4u · April 5, 2019

I've been shopping around for a 2014+ GMC/Chevy half ton, and see a lot of 3.08 gear ratios. I'm surprised there are so many on 4WD trucks with tow packages. What is the typical tow rating on the 3.08 gearing? For a crew cab truck.

I've been looking for an NHT or 6.2l but those are nearly impossible to find. I've found one 2015 with the 6.2l, but it had 130k miles already. Too much for my taste and $25k. What gearing do the NHT trucks or 6.2l typically come with? I'll be using it to tow a 7,500lb loaded 30ft camper once or twice a month. Thanks!

Darmichar · April 5, 2019

I pulled a 7,000lb boat with my 3.08 2014 5.3L with zero issues. If I wasn't leadfooting it I could usually stay around 11-14MPG with it too.

Alternately, when I towed my 3,500lb pontoon that sat about 4-6 feet above the truck, it pulled it well but got horrible MPG's (7-10).

ray2005 · April 5, 2019

NHT have 2 different setups, the 3.42 with the 8 speed and 3.73 with the 6 speed.

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Silverado-Hareek · April 5, 2019

15 minutes ago, onecrazyfoo4u said:

I've been shopping around for a 2014+ GMC/Chevy half ton, and see a lot of 3.08 gear ratios. I'm surprised there are so many on 4WD trucks with tow packages. What is the typical tow rating on the 3.08 gearing? For a crew cab truck.

I would check the codes on the glove box to verify the gearing. The reason I say this is my truck window sticker showed 3.08 Gears under the regular features but then listed under optional features where they had the Z71 package, All Star Edition, etc., there was a line item showing 3.42 gearing. I went to the glove box at the time to confirm, but I don't remember what code refers to the 3.42 gearing. You should be able to google it though.

Going by memory, the 3.08 gearing should put your towing capacity around 7500 lbs. 3.42 bumps you to about 9,600. and then the max tow package with 3.73 gears puts you around 11,000 lbs.

HeySkippyDog · April 5, 2019

RPO should be GU6 if it has 3.42.

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onecrazyfoo4u · April 5, 2019

Thanks for the help guys, I'll lookout for the 3.42 or 3.73. Otherwise I would be at max towing capacity with the 3.08...and it sounds like a dog towing from what I've been reading on here. So NHT or GU6 on the glovebox. Thanks!

truckguy82 · April 5, 2019

I’ve got a 2014 6.2 with a 3.42, 51k miles, was considering getting rid of it soon. Probably around $30k. It’s a double cab

Very well maintained.

Edited April 5, 2019 by truckguy82

onecrazyfoo4u · April 5, 2019

1 hour ago, truckguy82 said:

I’ve got a 2014 6.2 with a 3.42, 51k miles, was considering getting rid of it soon. Probably around $30k. It’s a double cab

Very well maintained.

I would definitely consider if it was a crew cab. Gotta have that extra room to fit the 3 kids when we go camping. Thanks though!

16LT4 · April 6, 2019

Specs should always be taken with a grain of salt. Driver ability is the ultimate limiting factor in most cases, which is why modern limits are grossly underrated. I promise my '17 Silverado could haul FAR more than my '84 S10, despite the sticker saying the difference is only a human body weight...

That being said, twice a month 7500 lb towing with a 3.08 or even a 3.42 would definitely wear out the truck faster than with a steeper rear gear. 3.73 would be the ticket, but a 2500 would do it better. Take into account where the towing is (flatland, mountains, ocean beaches).

Edited April 6, 2019 by dukedkt442